Stimulation by dolichol phosphate-mannose of N-acetylglucosaminyl-lipid biosynthesis by membranes from class E Thy-1-negative mutant mouse lymphoma cells which are defective in dolichol phosphate-mannose biosynthesis.

Dolichol phosphate-mannose has been shown previously to stimulate the biosynthesis of N-acetylglucosaminyl-diphosphate-dolichol (E. L. Kean (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 12561-12571). Although the class E Thy-1-negative mutant mouse lymphoma cells are unable to synthesize dolichol phosphate-mannose, the addition of this compound exogenously to membranes from the mutant cells brought about a stimulation of N-acetylglucosaminyl-lipid synthesis similar to that obtained with membranes from wild type cells. The retention of this activity by the mutant cells supports the suggestion of a regulatory role for dolichol phosphate-mannose as an intrinsic property of the glucosaminyltransferase which catalyzes the initial reaction of the dolichol pathway.